OFFSTAGE: Garth Brooks Opens Up in Rare Interview

(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that’s happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)

If you remember TV’s Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, then it’s really no surprise that the show’s host, Robin Leach, would get this rare and exclusive interview
with Garth Brooks for the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. I mean, who better to talk to country’s biggest star than the man who was all about champagne wishes and caviar dreams? However, Brooks doesn’t really seem to live that lavish of a lifestyle. He is currently doing a long, long string of shows in Las Vegas and told Leach he thinks the casual style of the show works well. Actually, what he said was, “You’re flying by the seat of your pants. Finally, it works in your favor to have a big ass.” And as for the just-Garth-and-a-guitar simplicity of the concerts, Brooks said, “I’ve gotta tell you, it really hones your guitar playing, your dialogue with the audience, your own vocals. It’s a constant final exam because it’s just you and a guitar up there. You got nowhere to hide, so it’s great for me.” Then toward the end of the story, when talk turns to becoming an empty nester after his youngest daughter graduates from high school in 2014 and whether or not Brooks will record any more albums, there is a glimmer of hope. “There’s always hunger to create because I believe that’s what I do,” he says. So I’m going to take that as a yes.